Want to change the world? Join a non-profit agency! At an organization full of compassionate visionaries dedicated to making the world a better place, nothing could possibly go wrong – right?

Okay, so nobody’s perfect, and no non-profit is the perfect agent for change. As you may know, some aspects of non-profits can be stressful, challenging, and even counter-productive to the ultimate goals of social change work. And that can be hard for me to hold, knowing that even people with the best intentions can contribute to creating obstacles in the way of true liberation.

Luckily, we now have some courageous folks to help us name what goes on in the wacky world of non-profits, through a new activist-artist group called Peacock Rebellion. And they’re doing it all with fun and sass, as well as a deep sense of hope in the power of true activism.

Peacock Rebellion is centered around queer and trans people of color, and the artists craft their work through lenses of intersectionality, interconnection, interdependence and transnationalism. These artists aren’t afraid to speak the truth about the dangers of a non-profit industrial complex that upholds problematic patterns and stifles activists' dreams.

The truth is, we don’t have to accept the problems of the non-profit world, even with the best intentions. As Peacock Rebellion founder Manish Vaidya says, “we can dream bigger.”
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Our big dreams take center stage at Agen(c)y: Nonprofit Dreams + Disaster, Peacock Rebellion’s first cabaret. Twelve queer and trans people of color use comedy, film, burlesque and more to critique the current state of social change, and to share their freedom dreams. The tremendously talented performers include Lambda Literary Award winner Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Deep Dickollective founder Juba Kalamka, and Mia McKenzie, of the revolutionary blog Black Girl Dangerous. In addition to the all-star performers and curators (Maya Chapina and Manish Vaidya), there’s an all-star line up of sponsors: INCITE, Mangos with Chili, POOR Magazine/Prensa POBRE, Queer Rebels, and QWOCMAP. In other words, a whole lot of fierceness has gone into this show.

Agen(c)y: Nonprofit Dreams + Disaster premiered last night to a packed house at La Peña Cultural Center, and tonight’s show is nearly sold out, so it may be too late to see it on this run. But don’t worry! We’ll be seeing much more of Peacock Rebellion’s amazing work. To find out more, you can visit their website or their Facebook page, and to offer your support, visit the Indiegogo page.

 
 
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INCITE! artwork by Favianna Rodriguez
I'm doing something wild and making two Friday Friends posts today. I'm making up for missing last week, but mostly it's because I noticed that the latest post on the INCITE! blog is highlighting an exciting event happening in San Francisco this weekend.

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence is "a national activist organization of radical feminists of color advancing a movement to end violence against women of color and our communities through direct action, critical dialogue and grassroots organizing." INCITE! is fierce. INCITE! is powerful. They've created books and posters, launched campaigns and provided resources for organizers, as well as so much more to create a world where women of color can live in peace.

Now, anyone who wants to help end violence against women of color and our communities has another resource in the INCITE! blog. Blog editors post news articles, events announcements, calls for submission and more. And they don't claim to have all the answers - instead, they're hoping to hear from you and me and anyone else with news to share.

The latest post on the INCITE! blog, as I mentioned, features a fantastic event that's happening in San Francisco this weekend. Sins Invalid is "a performance project that incubates and celebrates artists with disabilities, centralizing artists of color and queer and gender-variant artists as communities who have been historically marginalized." And it's just as amazing as it sounds. Learn more about Sins Invalid on the INCITE! blog or at the Sins Invalid site, which includes an interview with the fabulous Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, who will also be a part of next weekend's Safetyfest.

There are powerful events happening everywhere, for folks who are used to feeling marginalized. No more. Big thanks to INCITE! for bringing our struggles and triumphs into conversation, and calling for action.